facing off. barack obama and mitt romney meet for the first debate and their best opportunity to reach out voters. millions of americans gathered around their tv's or in front of their computers to watch two men argue with each other. barack obama and mitt romney debated health care, the role of government, and governing one month before the presidential election. but they spent most of their time arguing over the economy. the 90 minute debate in denver, colorado, one of the few

battleground states that could decide the election. candidates concentrated on how to revive the economy. >> the only way to meet governor romney's pledge of not reducing the deficit, or not adding to the deficit, is by burdening middle-class families, now that's -- not my analysis. >> the president has a view very similar to the view he had when he ran four years ago, a bigger government, spending more, taxing more, regulating more, if you will, trickle down government would work. that's not the right answer for america. >> romney kept attacking o mode instructions. obama some times had trouble getting a word in. many u.s. media analysts say romney had a belttter performan. the candidates have two more debates they have five weeks to win over undecided voters. turkish forces have fired artillery shells across the

border into syria. they're retaliating for syrian mortars that landed in southern turkey. it killed five people including a woman and her three children. the mortar landed in the turkish town of akcakale. they have warned of prompt action if their security was threatened again. turkey has provided support for the opposition free syrian army and the turkish military has been building up tanks. turkey has provided support for the opposition for syrian army and turkish military commanders have been building up their forces and deploying tanks along the border. u.s. secretary of hillary clinton has condemned syria for its part in the exchange of fire. >> we are outraged that the syrians have been shooting across the border. >> clinton says u.s. government officials are consulting with their allies in turkey over what she called a very dangerous situation. she called on responsible nations worldwide to put them into a cease-fire and a

transition of power. united nations secretary-general moon expressed his concerns. he urged the syrian government to end the violence quickly. he said the conflict is not only threatening the security of syrians but causing harm to syria's neighbors. members discussed the shelling and agreed to keep a close watch on what's happening in the region. emergency workers in syria are doing what they can to help the wounded after an attack in the city of aleppo. at least three powerful explosions ripped through the center of the capital that killed more than 30 people. state-run tv reports the explosions occurred near an officers' club in the northern city. opposition forces are claiming responsibility and say they use the car bombings to target the officials loyal to president bashar al-assad. they renewed it last week to gain control with aleppo.

a free syrian army spokesperson says the assad regime mobilized 30,000 troops and 2,000 tanks for the battle. he says rebel fighters plan to carry out simultaneous bombing attacks on the military. citizens upset by iran's plummeting currency have taken to the streets of the capital tehran. their protests highlight their growing frustration with the government. protesters fought with riot police in the city's main bazaar. they were demanding the government stop the fall of the rial. demonstrators staged another protest in a different area of the city. iran's currency has lost 70% of the value in the past year and hit record lows against the dollar. u.s. and european sanctions targeting iran are hurting the economy. anti-government protests are unusual in iran. an exchanger at the bazaar said the demonstrators were merchants.

>> there have been no reports of injuries, but many shops are closed in and around the bazaar. security officers are patrolling the area. japan's foreign minister has promised to increase the volume in the verbal battle with china over the senkaku islands. gemba says the japanese must convey their views to the world more strongly. >> translator: if we continue to explain our stance, the world will understand clearly that the islands are an inherent part of japanese territory based on international law and in a lot of historical facts. >> gemba says the measures include running advertisements in overseas newspapers to counter chinese claims to the islands in the east china sea. the state affiliated "china daily" ran two-page ads last week in the "new york times" and "washington post." they refer to the islands daoyu, the chinese name for them. they said they accused japan

and washington crafting back room deals to give control of the islands, care they call the deals invalid. car makers from around the world have gathered in china this week for an international auto show, but the strained relations are putting a dent in japan's participation. the international automobile show opened on wednesday with all the glitz and glitter that usually accompanies car shows. the latest models from 65 u.s., european and asian car makers on display. japan's toyota and nissan are there with the newest offerings, but other makers are noticeably absent. local affiliates decided not to take part in the wake of anti-japanese protests last month in several chinese cities.

>> translator: i do not want to buy a japanese vehicle due to the dispute. >> translator: however both countries handle the dispute, i think japanese carmakers should still be participating. >> several chinese dealerships have postponed their sales campaigns for new japanese models. aeon, added up the cost of protests, demonstrators caused $9 million in damages to their flag ship store in the eastern part of the country. a group of people looted and damaged the supermarket in the reskrun durigion during the ral month. managers say they expect to reopen in late november. the riots hurt aeon's chance of mini-stop convenience stores. they will cut the number of planned outlets from 70 to 20.

still, they say will expand in china. they say can't ignore the opportunities in the growing market. europe's major banks have raised $260 billion in fresh capital during the year to june. according to the european banking authority, the eu banking watch dog. the banking authority released its final report on the recapitalization of europe's banks wednesday. responding to the credit crisis the european union demanded 71 major bangs raibanks raise thei. a bank's capital ratio is a key indicator of financial health. the authority says the banks have raised capital through profit reserves or by issuing stock. it says increased capital includes funds for troubled greek banks. the authority praises the bank for boosting their capital positions. it says this strengthened the

overall resill yns ience of the banking system. italian police arrested the head of a private tax collection agency. the man suspected of pocketing $130 million his agency gathered for local governments. the italian government is cracking down on tax evasion as a way to reduce its massive debt. police officials say the suspect and four of his employees misappropriated about $100 million euros between 2006 and 2009. the private agency had been commissioned by about 400 pounds to collect taxes. the suspects reportedly spent the money on private jets, yachts, parties and other luxuries. police have seized cash and real estate worth about $11 million. the european union is trying to reach a consensus among its leaders to conclude an economic partnership agreement with japan. the eu administrative body, the

european commission, proposed epa negotiations with japan in july. nhk obtained a draft statement, summarizing the summit, schedule ford october 18th and 19th in brusselse brussels. it calls on countries to begin negotiations with japan to conclude the epa. automobile makers in italy, france and germany owe poppose proposal. other industries including chemical and pharmaceutical companies are in favor of an early start of the negotiations. american cattle farmers are looking out at their herds and shaking their heads. the worst droiught in 50 years has driven up the price of grain. that made it harder for them to feed their livestock. corn prices shot up, $65 ate ,0

ton. >> reporter: they are offering th this. a number of live stock farmers expect many supplies to dwindle due to the drought. due to oversupply, prices are falling. once shipments decline their expect to. at this auction, the cattle for sale has risen 20% compared with usual years. and they fetch low prices.

quite a bit of my cows next year. concerns over corn shortage are also fueled by the policy to promote the use of biofuels. the green initiative involves investing in environmental related businesses to create about 5 million jobs over ten years. better use of corn is considered essential for creating a new markets and achieving the goal. [ indiscernible ] >> reporter: due to drought or for other reasons, corn supplies

is whole live stock and human consumption tumble. and their prices surge. that explains the soaring prices to the obama administration's energy policy. >> there is limited amount of corn now. and ethanol is still a big buyer. >> reporter: under present circumstances that seems no easy task. a live stock former in nebraska. he has 60 of his 300 head of cattle. to minimize feed costs he now uses less corn in big mixes. so, he is a republican. he is not demanding that the corn restrictions be lifted. >> we are using this right

hereafter the ethanol is taken out. to me it is a plus. it is a plus. i am not an advocate of throwing ethanol out the window. >> he is growing corn for live stock feed. while shipping the grain for ethanol use. thanks to the government policy, corn for bioethanol fuel is a key source of stable income for farmers. and since many farmers, the republican party, finding it difficult to press for a change of policy. beef supplies are expected to dwin dwindle in the u.s. this winter. pushing up prices even higher. and take preventative action is likely because beef prices to rise and grain prices to soar worldwide.

people in japan's northeast are focused on overcoming the challenges of the 2011 disaster. it went be easy. they have to rebuild homes. businesses. entire communities. we'll show you their struggles and their successes on the road every wednesday at 1:00 p.m. here on news? line. japanese researchers may have found a clue unraveling the mystery what magnified the tsunami that struck eastern japan last year. the key was an active undersea fault. the march 11 earthquake triggered a tsunami that inundated large sections of the pacific coastline. this computer graphic simulate how high the waves would have been based on conventional theory that tectonic movement caused the waves. but according to this theory, simulations of the tsunami, northern, indicate waves were much lower than they observed 20 meters.

professor of hiroshima university wanted to find out why the theory fails to explain how the tsunami were magnified. he discovered an active undersea fault along the coastline. the conventional theory was that a tectonic plate on the land ward side moved drastically triggering a tsunami. sim late e if the fault shifted with the plate. his simulations were able to re-create what happened a tension should be made to similar undersea faults. these red lines are believed to be such faults. >> translator: i think we can more realistically prepare for future disasters, if we take measures based on simulations that active faults can cause tsunami. >> the professor says researchers need to examine such

undersea faults as soon as possible. though south korea's economy is growing fast. last year six out of ten university graduates couldn't find work. so many have been taking matters into their own hands. nhk world's ana jong has the the story. >> reporter: south korea's job recruiting started last month. universities organized job fairs, hoping their students land a job. but many graduates are still frustrated. >> i have given up getting work by the end of the school year. so i have been attending job fairs hoping to land something for the following year. >> reporter: many students prefer to work for big businesses or the government because the pay and benefits are

better. but the competition is fierce, so there are not enough jobs to go around. as an alternative measure, local governments and public institutions are encouraging young people to lawn. their own businesses. this center helps ambitious and talented young people realize their ideas and dreams. the seoul government in 2009 and offers business lessons, professional advice and men toerg. mentoring. financial support is also available. so far the center has taught about 4,000 people. and over 1,600 businesses have been started. >> translator: we will provide even more support by educating young ambitious people at places like this. and nurturing global competitiveness.

>> reporter: one of the self-employed people the center helps. and it's backing has paid off. chen and three friend launched this shop last week. the center provides $600 of funding a month. chen majored in journalism and graduated from university last february. his job search got him nowhere. later, he decided to start a business of his own. but first, he researched by spending six muchths wo mun -- months working for franchise restaurants. i figured if i fail, i can try something else. after all, i am young. time is on my side. that's why i decided to start a business. >> chen and his partners are trying to attract customers. every morning they sell the rice bowl to university students on the street. not only do they make sales, but

it is also a good way to promote their brand. one rice bowl costs $1. rice bowls, are all hand made just before serving. >> translator: it looks new fresh us and good for my health. convenience stores don't sell anything like this. and it tastes good too. >> translator: we started out with rice bowls. but my dream is to expand our menu and sell ready made korean meals around the world. >> with jobs so hard to fiennd, young koreans must rely on themselves to make a living.

in doing so they're changing the way young people think about employment. anna jung, nhk world, seoul. young entrepreneurs are as successful as chen, some were forced to close down their business because they lack experience or suffer troubles. if young business people are to stay afloat they need more long-term help. now, fans around the world wonder who was mona lisa. italian researchers believe they may have the answer. began excavating an ancient grade. others believe the mona lisa was an imaginary figure. researchers found the grave beneath a convent in florence. they started digging. they say the body in the grave could clear up the mystery.

the chief archaeologist on the project says if they can find her skull they will be able to use the latest technology to reconstruct her face. lots of sunshine here in tokyo. but we are observing two storms in the western pacific. let's turn to rachel ferguson for the latest. >> hi, that's right. this is the storm hitting to the east of japan at the moment. it is currently moving at about -- 55 kilometers an hour. we are not expecting direct landfall. cloud bands are affecting central eastern japan. we will still see significant rainfall from this system. by thursday, afternoontime. so within the next -- say, 6 to 12 hours. expected to become an ex-tropical low. losing those tropical characteristics, but actually the wind are going to increase.

so it is still going to be very gusty over the next 24 hours or so as the system pulls away. let's talk what is happening in the south china sea. we have a tropical storm. so it has weakened off a little bit from severe tropical storm status. looks like it will be heading into vietnam. making landfall here, saturday, local time. it will pick up the pace. also intensity a little bit before doing so. reaching these warmer walte eer. for the time being close to the philippines. helping enhance the rainfall across luzon, southwesterly, monsoon rains we see this team of the year. having a system like this close by really helps to exacerbate that problem. heavy rain at the moment. focusing on the philippines. we'll watch the system as the it heads on east into indochina. now to the america's. looking high, dry across much of mexico as well as the the u.s., western canada. but there are thunderstorms in the cards for you today. along the atlantic coast. from florida up into new england.

the heaviest of the rain, stronger wind will be found actually up towards the northeast. then we have a winter storm system which is push pushing its way along the u.s./canada border at the moment. there are watches, warnings, posted, winter storm from montana right through towards the great lakes. you could see in the parts of minnesota, as well as southea southeastern manitoba. 30 centimeters of snow. strong winds. near white-out conditions. warnings post ford that as well. temperatures are going to be falling across the north. in fact pushing in towards the east over the weekend. already, we are seeing five, three, in winnipeg, fargo. 23 degrees in chicago. not bad today. knock 10 degrees off that as we head into saturday. same goes with your 25 in new york city. by saturday going to be down to 15. so, time to got out the winter woolies it would appear. not so for you in the south. 32,houston. 2 in atlanta. and, 26 degrees for you in los angeles. okay. we head on into europe. not much change in the north

west. wet, windy. thunderstorms today, moving into towards finland. stretching down across northern france. there as it noth there its another low-pressure system. short term heavy rain in across southern portions of england. elsewhere, clear, calm. however, out across the southeast, around the black sea region, you will be seeing some thunder, lightning. maybe intense thunderstorms here. temperature thousands are not too bad. out east. looking in the upper teens. 20 degrees. we have 12 degrees in stockholm. little cooler here. but, down across the mediterranean. 29 in athens. actually see one more burst of warmth in the next couple days here in the southeast. leave you now to your extended forecast.

our top story once again. barack obama and mitt romney have met for their first debate. one month ahead of the presidential election. they spent most of their time

are gug ov arguing over the economy. the debate took place in denver, colorado, one of the few battleground states that could decide the election. candidates concentrated on how to revive the economy. >> the only way to meet governor romney's pledge of not reducing the deficit, or, not -- adding to the deficit, is by burdening middle-class families, now that's -- not my analysis. >> the president has a view very similar to the view he had when he ran four years ago. that a bigger government, spending more, taxing more, regulating more, if you will, trickle-down government would work. that's not the right answer for america. >> romney kept attacking obama, and ignoring the moderator's instructions. obama some times had trouble getting a word in. many u.s. media analysts say romney had a better performance. the candidates will face off in two more debates. they have got just more five weeks to win over undecided voters. that's all for now on this

edition of newsline. i'm yuko aotani in tokyo. thank you very much for joining us.